Chapter 678 Flying Menace (3)
As Erik stood below, the Galewing circled in the sky, its watchful eyes focused on him, getting ready to strike once more.
With a single powerful flap of its wings, it conjured a storm of wind blades, each one a razor-sharp crescent of compressed air, hurtling toward him with deadly accuracy.
Erik's senses were heightened, every sound and movement making him tense. The tension in his body heightened as he analyzed the trajectory of each attack.
With an impressive burst of speed, he maneuvered to the left, escaping the first blade that had sliced through the air right at the spot where he had been standing only a moment earlier.
But the Galewing showed no signs of relenting. Once again, a series of wind blades was unleashed, but this time, they originated from a different direction.
"Motherfucker," the word was a calm acknowledgment rather than an outcry of frustration.
Faced with the unremitting wind blades, Erik's demeanor was the epitome of focused tranquility.
Despite the barrage from his long-range adversary, there was no hint of desperation in Erik's actions.
His physical prowess was clear, each dodge and weave executed with an almost meditative focus.
This calm, focused approach highlighted Erik's ability to maintain control amid battle.
His every move was a deliberate act, a testament to his mastery over his body and the situation, turning what could have been a frantic skirmish into a display of controlled, strategic defense.
In an impressive display of agility, Erik executed a succession of intricate maneuvers, rolling and leaping to avoid the attacks coming his way.
The wind blades caused sand and dust to be thrown into the air, making it harder for him to see and anticipate the next assault.
The attacks were so close to him that he could feel them grazing past, and he could even hear the distinct whistling sound they made as they sliced through the air.
As he was grazing his arm, he ended up with a shallow cut that bled almost instantly.
Despite the perilous situation, Erik's lips curled into a grin as he looked up at the circling Galewing. "Is that all you've got?" With a mix of mockery and excitement, he shouted, his voice carrying the distinct tinge of both emotions. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to take me down!"
The Galewing emitted a screech, as if in direct response, while narrowing its eyes at what appeared to be a display of indignation.
"Come on, stupid chicken! Show me what you're made of!"
As its wings beat, the Galewing released yet another barrage of wind blades, each one a dangerous crescent of compressed air, all directed straight toward him.
As the lethal wind blades sliced through the air and headed towards him, Erik's calm demeanor remained steadfast, acting as a powerful fortress amid the storm.
To find stability amidst the chaotic and dangerous situation, he took a long, calming breath, grounding himself in the present moment.
In a sudden burst of agility, he changed direction, navigating towards the right, his actions executed with an almost indiscernible precision.
Despite his narrow escape from the first wave of wind blades, his heart skipped a beat when he saw a second, much fiercer onslaught advancing towards him.
With instinctive prowess, Erik executed a backflip. Like a fearless acrobat defying death, his body twisted in mid-air during the performance.
As he somersaulted, the wind blades passed just inches from him, their edges slicing the air where he had been moments before.
Erik's feet hit the ground with a thud as he regained his stance. Another haunting screech escaped from the Galewing's beak, its sound echoing through the desolate landscape.
As Erik dodged another set of wind blades, he couldn't help but feel the difficulty of the fight. "This is a lot harder than I expected." His eyes never left the circling Galewing above.
The constant movement left his muscles throbbing, and he could feel droplets of sweat trickling down his forehead.
For a moment, Erik's eyes shifted their focus away from the circling Galewing and scanned the horizon in search of the convoy. They had transformed into minuscule dots as they moved further away, almost merging with the immense stretch of the desert.
Relief swept over him like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. They were now a considerable distance away, out of harm's reach, and unlikely to detect his mana or witness the intense battle.
With the distance between them, he could ensure the convoy's safety and unleash his full power, with no concerns about his abilities being exposed. But it was a double-edged sword. This great distance also resulted in him being alone in his fight against the Galewing.
With a small smirk forming on his face, Erik shifted his attention back to the airborne predator.
With its impressive mastery of the skies, the Galewing proved to be a fearsome adversary because of its exceptional agility and unparalleled control over the air.
Throughout this entire time, Erik's sole focus has been on evading the relentless attacks of the creature. The reason he was able to stay safe was because the Galewing remained flying high above, which allowed him the time to observe and evade the incoming attacks.
The number of options Erik had for attacking was quite restricted. He could use his deadly mana darts to either eliminate or debilitate the creature, yet despite possessing this long-range ability, the creature remained out of his reach.
A direct attack, attempting to jump as high as possible with the aid of Nathaniel and the Xeridon Anteris's power, would prove futile as the beast's agility would enable it to evade such attacks.
The Galewing circled above, its sharp screech echoing through the air as if daring him to take action.
Erik knew that his best chance to defeat the beast was to lure it into a fierce ground battle where he could rely on his strength.
But how could he entice such a clever and elusive creature to descend from the sky?
While lost in his thoughts, the Galewing surprised everyone by launching another onslaught of wind blades, resulting in a symphony of whistling and howling sounds that echoed through the air.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Erik dodged the attack, feeling the rush of adrenaline heighten the urgency of the situation.
With time not on his side, he felt the pressure mounting. The longer this dragged on, the more opportunities the Galewing had to land a fatal blow.
Erik's eyes shifted from the expansive sky to the wreckage scattered on the ground. The armored vehicle that the Galewing had targeted was now a mangled heap of twisted metal and shattered glass.
The vehicle's exterior lay sundered, as though an invisible sword wielded by a giant had sliced it in two. Its formidable armor was rendered asunder like paper in the hands of a wrathful deity.
The once vibrant and sturdy tires now sagged, devoid of air, almost as if they were lamenting the defeat of a mighty beast.
Once transparent and unharmed, the windows had now become a jigsaw puzzle of shattered glass, a testament to the chaos that had unfolded.
Many fragments, each capturing the sunlight, came together to form a grim mosaic that shimmered with a beauty that was both eerie and reminiscent of a disturbed sea sparkling under a stormy sky.
Inside, the scene was just as harrowing as the chaos outside. Reduced to a headless figure, the driver was no longer identifiable as a human being.
With his body still slumped in the seat, he resembled a macabre marionette that had its strings severed.
Inside the vehicle, there was a ghastly still life unfolding, like a morbid tableau depicting the abrupt and violent end of life.
The durability of the driver's armored suit was showcased by its ability to remain intact even after the incident. However, despite its many positive attributes, the one fatal flaw that stood out was in the neck region, where the absence of a head highlighted its vulnerability.
In a grim display of irony, the seatbelt fastened now served as a somber reminder of the futile attempt to ensure safety in the face of a violent and tragic fate, as it held the decapitated body in place.
Dashboards and controls were decorated with splashes of blood, creating a macabre scene.
Covered in droplets and smears, the sterile controls turned into an unintended canvas of gore, each mark recounting a silent and horrifying story.
Instead, the steering wheel, rendered purposeless, seemed to ache for the comforting grip of the driver's hands, hands that had once maneuvered it but were now absent forever.
With his fists clenched, Erik felt a surge of determination coursing through his veins. There was no margin for mistakes. The Galewing's deadly power had already snuffed out a life, but he was determined to protect others from its grasp.
Erik, having decided to trust in the Galewing's hunting instincts, came to the understanding that his plan was daring and full of potential risks.
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